This is Surah Alif Lam Ra.1
This is the Book whose verses were initially concise; then
they were explained from the wise and knowledgeable God2
so that you do not worship anyone except Him.3
I am from Him a warner and a deliverer of glad tidings. And
that seek forgiveness from your Lord, then turn to Him; He
will abundantly provide you till a fixed period of time and
will bless every person worthy of favour with His favour. But
if you turn away, I fear for you the torment of a horrific
day.4
All of you have to return to God and He has power over all
things.5
(1-4)

Do you observe how they turn away their chests to hide from
God! Beware! When they cover themselves with sheets [for this
purpose, even then they are before His eyes].6
He knows what they conceal and what they reveal. He is even
aware of the secrets in the hearts. There is not a single
living being on earth whose sustenance is not the
responsibility of God. And He knows his dwelling and also the
place where he will be consigned [to the earth after death].
All this is written in an open Book.7
(5-6)

And it is He Who has created the heavens and the earth in six
days8
and [before your creation] His throne was on water9
– created you to test you as to which of you does better
deeds.10
Now [O Prophet!] If you say to them: “[People!] You shall be
raised to life again after death,” these disbelievers shall at
once say: “This is plain magic.”11
And if We defer the torment of this world from them for a
while,12
they will definitely ask: “What has withheld it?” Listen! The
day it alights on them, it will not be averted and they will
be surrounded by precisely what they are making fun of. Such
is the matter of man that when We bless him with some favour
and then deprive him of it, he will definitely complain
because he is quick to lose hope and is very ungrateful. And
if after some adversity that has inflicted him We make him
taste a favour, he will certainly say: “My adversities have
left me,” [and will rejoice] because he is very arrogant and
boastful.13
Only they are an exception to this who are steadfast and do
righteous deeds. For them is forgiveness and a great reward as
well. (7-11)

So, [O Prophet! Because of their attitude,] perhaps you want
to leave out a part14
of what is being revealed to you and it is distressing you
that these people will say: “Why was not a treasure revealed
to him or why was not an angel sent with him?” [In reality,]
you are only a warner and in future everything is entrusted to
God. Do they say: “The Prophet has fabricated it himself?”15
Tell them: “Then you also bring forth ten such fabricated
surahs like it and call in whoever you can except God, if you
are truthful.16
However, if they do not come to your rescue, know that this
has been revealed with God’s knowledge and that no one except
Him is God.17
Then do you accept? (12-14)

[They have become disbelievers because the life of this world
has deceived them. Tell them:] “Those who desire the life of
the world and its finery, We reward them for their deeds here
and no loss do they suffer in this.” It is these people for
whom there is nothing but Fire in the Hereafter.18
Whatever they did in the world all stands wiped out and
whatever they do will bear no fruit. (15-16)

So, can a person who is on a clear proof19
from his Lord, then [as a further corroboration] another
witness comes after it from his Lord20
and before this the Book of Moses is also present as a guide
and mercy21
reject this Qur’an?22
[Certainly not!] Such people will surely profess faith in it.
And whoever among the groups [of your addressees] rejects it,
for him the fire is the promised abode. Therefore, [O
Prophet!] Do not be in any doubt about it23
because it is a truth from your Lord but most people do not
believe. [Tell them:] “Who can be more unjust than the person
who ascribes falsehood to God?”24
They will be presented before their Lord and the witnesses25
will bear witness that these are the ones who had fabricated a
lie on God. Listen! God’s curse be on the unjust who stop
[people] from the path of God and seek to distort it,26
and it is they who disbelieve in the Hereafter. They were not
beyond God’s grasp in the earth nor did they have any
supporter [there] except God. [However, they were of this
opinion because of the respite We had given them.] They shall
now be given a two-fold torment27
because they could not hear nor see.28
It is they who have put themselves into a loss and whatever
they fabricated has been lost from them. There is no doubt
that in the Hereafter they will be the greatest losers. On the
contrary, those who professed faith and did righteous deeds
and humbly submitted to their Lord, they are the dwellers of
Paradise. They will abide in it forever. The example of both
these groups is as if one is blind and deaf and one can see
and hear.29
Will both become equal? So, do you not think? (17-24)

In a similar way,] We had sent Noah as a messenger to his
nation. [He said to his nation:] “I am an open warner for you30
that you worship no one but God.31
[If you do this,] I fear for you the torment of a painful
day.” At this, the chiefs of his nation who were disbelievers
said: “We consider you as a person like us and we only see the
lowliest among us blindly following you. We do not think that
you have any superiority over us. In fact, we think of you as
a blatant liar.”32
(25-27)

Noah replied: “People of My Nation! Just think that if I am on
a clear argument33
from my Lord and then He has also blessed me with His special
mercy34
and you could not see that; so should we [forcibly] stick it
on you when you dislike it?35
O People of My Nation! I am not asking any wealth from you for
this service [that I be compelled to accept every thing you
say.] My reward rests with God and [in order to please you] I
am never going to turn out those who have accepted faith. They
will be meeting their Lord [with this faith of theirs. Only He
will decide their worth;] but I see that you are given to
ignorance. O People of My Nation! Who will help me in being
protected from God if I turn them out? So, do you not think? I
do not say to you that I have the treasures of God. Nor do I
have the knowledge of the Unseen. I also do not claim to be an
angel.36
And [like you] I also cannot dare say about those whom your
eyes see as inferior that God cannot bless them with any good.37
God best knows whatever is in their hearts. If I do this, I
will be among the unjust. [At this,] those people said: “Noah!
You have argued with us and argued a lot. Now, if you are
truthful bring forth on us that which you are threatening us
with.” Noah replied: “Only God will bring it forth on you if
He desires and at that time you will not be able to escape His
grasp. Even if I want to be your well-wisher, my well-wishing
can be of no use to you if [as a result of this attitude of
yours] God has decided to lead you astray. He alone is your
Lord and to Him you have to return. (28-34)

Do they say: “[To ascribe it to us] this person has concocted
this anecdote himself?” Tell them [O Prophet:] “If I have
concocted it myself, then the evil consequence of my crime
will come on me but [you are responsible for] the crime [of
intentionally denying the truth]. I am acquitted from it.”38
(35)

[Then] it was revealed to Noah that no others among your
nation will accept faith except the ones who already have. So,
stop grieving at their misdeeds and make a ship under Our
supervision and according to Our guidance. Do not say anything
to Me in favour of these unjust people. They are now destined
to drown. Noah began making the ship [in accordance with this
guidance]. And when the chiefs of his nation passed by him,
they would laugh at him.39
He would reply to them: “If you laugh at us, then just as you
laugh, [one day] we will laugh at you.40
Then you will soon know the ones who are visited by that
torment which humiliates them and that scourge descends that
stays stationed on them [after its descent.]”41
They continued to do this until when Our directive arrived and
the storm erupted,42
We said: “Place in the ship a pair of every type [of animal
species]43
both [male and female] and also board your family in this ship
except for those about whom a judgement has been passed44
and they also who have professed faith – and few were the ones
who had professed faith with him.”45
Noah said: “Board it; its sailing and setting anchor is with
the name of God alone.46
My Lord is Forgiving. He is ever Merciful.”47
(36-41)

That ship began to take them between waves as high as
mountains and Noah called upon his son48
who was [standing] apart [at a distance from him]: “Son! Board
with us and do not be with these disbelievers.”49
He replied: “I will presently take refuge in some mountain
that will protect me from the water.”50
Noah said: “There is no one to save today from God’s directive
except to whom He shows mercy.” In the meantime, a wave came
between the two and he was also among those drowned.51
It was ordered: “O Earth! Swallow up your water and cease O
Sky!”52
Thus the water was brought down; the judgement was passed. The
ship came to rest at Judi53
and it was said: “May the curse of God be on this unjust
nation.” Noah called on his Lord and said: “Lord! My son is
from my family54
and no doubt that true is Your promise and among the judges
you are the greatest.”55
God said: “Noah! He is not from your family.56
He is an extremely wretched person. So, do not ask me about
which you have no knowledge. I urge you to not be among those
who are overwhelmed by emotions.” Noah immediately said:
“Lord! I seek refuge with You from asking you something of
which I have no knowledge. If you do not forgive me now and
not have mercy on me, then I will be among the losers.” God
said: “Disembark Noah with Our peace and blessings, upon you
and also upon those communities which will come into existence
from those with you.”57
And [after this,] there are some communities which We will
provide for in future; then [because of their misdeeds] a
painful torment from Us will seize them.58
(42-48)

These are the news of the unseen which [O Prophet!] We are
revealing to you. You neither knew them before this nor were
the people of your nation aware of them. So, remain steadfast.
The final success is for those who fear God.59
(49)

[Similarly,] to ‘Ad We sent their brother Hud.60
He invited them: “People of My Nation! Worship God. No one
else is your God. [In reality,] you are merely fabricating
falsehoods [against Him.] People of My Nation! [I say this to
you as your well-wisher.] I do not demand any reward from you
on this. My reward is with He Who created me. Then do you not
understand? People of My Nation! Seek forgiveness from your
Lord. Then turn to Him,61
He will pour down intense rain on you and increase your
strength further.62
Do not turn away as criminals.” They replied: “Hud! You have
not brought any clear sign63
to us and it is our decision that we are neither leaving our
deities merely at your bidding nor believing in you. We only
say that you have been inflicted with a punishment from
someone among your and our deities.” Hud said: “I make God as
a witness and you also be a witness that I am totally
acquitted from those whom you worship besides God.64
So, all of you may scheme against me [in whatever way you want
to]; then do not give me the slightest respite. I have put my
trust in God – my and your Lord. The forehead of every living
being is in His hands. My Lord surely is on the straight path.65
If you pay no heed even after this, then I have delivered the
message with which I was sent to you. Now my Lord will grant
authority to some other nation in your place and you will not
be able to harm Him in any way.66
Indeed, my Lord guards everything.” [Then it ensued that] when
Our judgement was passed; We delivered with Our mercy Hud and
those who had believed with him, and in this manner saved them
from a very harsh torment.67
(50-58)

These were the ‘Ad. They rejected the revelations of their
Lord, did not obey His messengers68
and continued to follow the way of every tyrant and defiant
person. Finally, a curse followed them in this world and on
the Day of Judgement too. Listen! The ‘Ad disbelieved in their
Lord. Listen! The ‘Ad were accursed, people of Hud’s nation.
(59-60)

In a similar way, to the Thamud69
We sent their brother Salih as a messenger. He invited them:
“O People of My Nation! Worship God, there is for you no God
except Him. He has created you from the earth and made you
populate it. For this reason, seek forgiveness from Him; then
turn to Him. My Lord is near and also one who accepts [the
supplications of His people].” They replied: “Salih! Before
this, a lot of hope was pinned in you among us; [but what a
person you turned out to be!] Do you now want to stop us from
the worship of the deities70
that have been worshipped by our forefathers? We are in a
great doubt that has confounded us because of that which you
are calling us to.”71
He said: “People of My Nation! Reflect a little that if I am
on a clear sign from my Lord and He has also granted me a
[special] grace from Himself,72
then who can save me from God’s grasp if I disobey Him? So,
[from what you desire,73]
you will only increase in ruining me. (61-63)

People of My Nation! This is God’s she-camel as a sign for
you. Thus leave it that it may graze in the land and do not
touch it with any evil intention otherwise a torment will soon
visit you.74
Then they hamstrung her.75
At this, Salih warned them: “Thrive in your settlements for
three more days; this warning is not a false one.”76
Thus when Our directive was given,77
We delivered with Our special grace Salih and those who
professed belief with him [from that torment] and saved [them]
from the humiliation of that day.78
There is no doubt that your Lord alone is powerful and mighty.79
And a violent roar overtook those who had been unjust and they
were left lying face down in their houses as if they never
lived in them. Listen! The Thamud disbelieved in their Lord.
Listen! The Thamud were cursed. (64-68)

[And in the case of Lot, what happened was that first] Our
angels came to Abraham with a glad tiding. They said: “Peace.”
Abraham replied: “Peace be to you too.” Then not much time
elapsed when Abraham brought to them a roasted calf [for their
hospitality].80
But when he saw that their hands were not reaching towards it,
he felt some strangeness from them and began fearing them a
little in his heart.81
They said: “Fear not. We have been sent towards the people of
Lot.” Abraham’s wife was standing nearby; so, she laughed
[with joy].82
Then We gave him glad tidings of Isaac and after Isaac, Jacob.83
She said: “Alas! Will I beget a child when I myself am old and
this husband of mine has also grown old? This is a very
strange thing.”84
The angels replied: “Do you express wonder on God’s matter?
Family of Abraham! God’s mercy and blessings are on you.85
Indeed, God has all praiseworthy attributes. He has great
majesty. (69-73)

Then when Abraham’s fear left him and glad tidings were
received by him, He began arguing with Us86
about the nation of Lot. In reality, Abraham was very gracious
and very affectionate and one who was very focused towards his
Lord – Abraham! Leave aside this debate. The directive of your
Lord has been issued and now that torment is going to visit
them which cannot be warded off.87
(74-76)

[After this,] when Our angels came
to Lot,88
he was very sad at their arrival and was heart-wrenched and
said: “This is a day of great calamity.”89
The people of his nation [seeing the arrival of some handsome
boys] came running to him forthwith. They were already
involved in such vulgarities. He said: “O People of My Nation!
These are my daughters. They are purer for you. So, fear God
and do not humiliate me in the matter of my guests. Is there
no upright person among you?”90
They replied: “You know that we have no right over your
daughters and you very well know what we desire.”91
Lot said: “Would that I had the power to combat you or I could
take refuge of a strong support.”92
The angels said: “Lot! We have been sent by your Lord; [rest
assured] they will not even be able to come near you. So,
leave this place with your family in the last part of the
night and none of you should look back except for your wife
because she is to go through what these people will go
through. The time of morning is fixed for their [punishment.
Why do you worry?] Is not the morning near? (77-81)

Then when Our directive arrived, We overturned that settlement
and hurled on it layered stones of hard clay93
which were marked from your Lord.94
And they were not far away from these unjust people.95
(82-83)

And towards Madyan96
[We] sent their brother Shu‘ayb as a messenger. He invited
[them]: “People of My Nation! Worship God, you do not have any
deity except Him and do not weigh and measure less.97
I see you in prosperity but I fear for you the torment of the
day which will surround you.98
People of My Nation! Weigh and measure justly and do not give
things to people by reducing them and do not go about
spreading disorder in the land. The profit given to you by God
is better only if you are true believers. [My responsibility
is to only make you understand] and I am not one to force
myself over you.”99
They replied: “O Shu‘ayb! Does your prayer teach you that we
leave those which our forefathers used to worship or we should
not use our wealth the way we want to?100
[In your view, all people of the past and present were foolish
and misguided and among us] only you are a wise and an upright
person.” He replied: “People of My Nation! Just think that if
I am on clear evidence101
from my Lord; then He has also provided me with a goodly
sustenance,102
what except this should I invite you to?103
By opposing you, I myself certainly do not want to do what I
am stopping you from.104
I only want to set right affairs as much as I can. Only God
will grant me its urge. I have trusted Him alone and I turn to
Him only. People of My Nation! It may happen that your
stubbornness against me reach the extent that you are also
visited by the calamity which visited the people of Noah or
the people of Hud or the people of Salih and the people of Lot
are not far away from you. And listen [if you want to remain
safe,] seek forgiveness from your Lord; then turn back towards
Him.105
In reality, my Lord is extremely merciful and very loving.”106
They replied: “Shu‘ayb! We do not understand much of what you
say107
and we see that you are a weak person among us. But for your
clan, we would have stoned you to death. You are not the
slightest powerful for us.” Shu‘ayb said: “People of My
Nation! Is my clan more powerful to you than God? [You fear
it] and have overlooked God. In reality, whatever you are
doing is encompassed by my Lord. People of My Nation! Continue
doing at your place [whatever you are doing]; so will I. Soon
you will know who is visited by the humiliating punishment and
who is a liar. Wait! and I am also waiting with you.” [At
this,] when Our directive was issued, We delivered with Our
special blessing Shu‘ayb and those who had accepted faith with
him, and those who had been unjust [to their souls] were
struck by a roar and they were left lying face down in their
houses, as if they never lived there. Listen! The people of
Madyan were also cursed the way the Thamud were. (84-95)

In a similar way, We had sent Moses (sws) to the Pharaoh and
his chiefs as a messenger with Our signs and a clear proof;108
then they obeyed what the Pharaoh said even though what he
said was not correct. On the Day of Judgement, he will be in
front of his people and will lead them to Hell. What an evil
place in which they will descend. A curse followed them in
this world and also in the Hereafter. What an evil reward were
they given!109
(96-99)

These are the accounts of the settlements We are narrating to
you.110
Some of them are standing and the produce of some have been
reaped.111
We had not been unjust to them. In fact, they had been unjust
to themselves. When the directive of your Lord was issued,
their deities whom they invoked besides God were of no benefit
to them. They only increased them in ruin. Such is the grasp
of the Almighty when He seizes the settlements while they are
showing injustice. In reality, His grasp is very woeful and
stern. Surely, there is a great sign in this for those who
fear the torment of the Hereafter. It is a day for which all
people will be gathered and it will be a day of presence.112
We are only deferring it for a short while.113
When that day arrives, no one will be able to speak without
God’s permission.114
Then among people, some will be unfortunate and some
fortunate. So, those who are unfortunate will land in Hell.
They will scream and cry there.115
They will remain there as long as the heavens and the earth
[of that world] are intact116
except if your Lord wills something else. Undoubtedly, your
Lord is able to do whatever He wills.117
As for the fortunate, they will be in Paradise. They will
abide in it as long as the heavens and the earth [of that
world] are intact except if your Lord wills something else118
– as a grant from Him that will never cease. So, [O Prophet!]
Do not be in any doubt about what they worship.119
They are worshipping the way their forefathers before them
worshipped. It is Our decision that We will give them their
share in full without any reduction.120
(100-109)

We had given the Book to Moses; then in it a [similar]
difference was created.121
Had a matter not been finalized earlier by your Lord, [this
difference] between them would have been settled.122
In reality, they are in a confounding doubt about [whatever
you are presenting before them. Rest assured,] your Lord will
reward them in full for their deeds.123
He is surely aware of what they are doing. So, remain
steadfast as you have been directed and they too who have
turned together with you [towards their Lord] and do not be
deviant. No doubt, He is observing whatever you are doing. [In
spite of their words of hope and fear,] do not incline
yourself towards these unjust people otherwise fire will seize
you as well and none except God will be your supporter. Then
you will not receive help from anywhere.124
And Listen! [O Prophet! To remain steadfast in this path] be
diligent in the prayer in both parts of the day and in the
early part of the night also. Indeed, virtues take away vices.
This is a reminder for those who are willing to be reminded.
And be patient because God will not waste the reward of those
who are thorough in their deeds.125
(110-115)

Then [reflect that] why did this not happen that there be such
virtuous people in the nations before you126
who stopped [people] from spreading disorder in the land? If
there were such people, they were very few who We delivered
from among them and the unjust continued to go after the bliss
they were in and they were none but wrongdoers. [O Prophet!]
Your Lord is not One Who destroys the settlements because of
some oppression [of theirs] when its inhabitants want to mend
ways.127
(116-117)

Had your Lord willed, He would have made all mankind into one
community [but He did not do this; in fact, He has given them
the freedom to exercise their will. So, as a result] they will
always have differences among them except those on whom your
Lord has mercy.128
He has created them for this very reason [that they exercise
their freedom of will.] So the word of your Lord [that He had
uttered] was fulfilled that: “I will fill Hell with both
jinnkind and mankind.”129
(118-119)

And [O Prophet!] We are narrating to you each of the accounts
of the messengers through which We can strengthen your heart.
The truth has come to you in them130
and there is advice and reminder in them for those who
believe. Tell them [O Prophet!] who are not believing: “Do
according to your way [what you want]; We will do according to
Our way. You also wait [till the judgement of God arrives]; we
are also waiting.” Whatever is concealed in the heavens and
the earth is with God and all matters turn to Him. So, [O
Prophet!] Worship Him only and trust Him alone. Your Lord is
not unaware of whatever you are doing. (120-123)

Kuala Lumpur

03 March 2012

(Translated by Dr Shehzad Saleem)

______________

1. What is the meaning of this name? I have explained in detail my view about it while discussing verse 2 of Surah al-Baqarah.

2.
Ie., initially a concise, brief and succinct style was
adopted and then later this brevity and terseness was
explained. Imam Amin Ahsan
Islahi writes:

... The purpose of
stating this is to refer to the elaborate arrangement made
by the Almighty in His Book for the education and
instruction of people ... At the
end of the verse, two of God’s attributes: wise and
knowledgeable are mentioned. This is because only a God
Who is wise can encapsulate treasures of wisdom in a few
words and it is only befitting for a God Who is
knowledgeable to explain the unfathomable depth and
profundity of these few words.
(Amin Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i Qur’an, vol. 4, 107)

3.
This is the basic message of the Qur’an which is mentioned
in almost these same words in the preaching of God’s
messengers.

4.
This is the detail of the warning and glad tidings that
were referred to earlier. The torment of a horrific day
refers to the worldly punishment which visits those who
disbelieve their messengers and are instantly destroyed.

5.
The threat found in these vague words is louder than any
explicit mention of it.

6.
Turning away chests and walking away by covering
themselves with clothing are portrayals of the aversion
and diversion these people would adopt to ignore the words
of the Prophet (sws) and to arrogantly walk away from him.
The Qur’an tells one to look at these people who want to
hide from the Being who knows what is even in the hearts.
What greater a foolishness can engulf them after being
warned by the Prophet (sws).

7.
If the various aspects of warning found in these verses
are revealed, the discourse is something to the effect:
what do they want to hide from God? His knowledge embraces
everything; how can anything of these people be hidden
from the being who provides sustenance to every living
being wherever it is? These people too thrive on His
sustenance but evade His call; they should remember that
God is aware of their abodes and also the places in which
they will be consigned to earth after they die; a day will
come when the earth will consign back to God what was
entrusted to it and these people will be held accountable
for what they did; each of their deeds is written and
preserved in an open book.

8.
These refer to the days of God about which the Qur’an has
specified that they are equivalent to one thousand earth
years and at times to fifty thousand earth years. The
implication is that the creation of this world is not an
accidental happening. It has come into being because of a
calculated intention and scheme devised by God and
according to a great sequence envisaged by Him. Not to
speak of His wisdom in this planning. Hence this world
cannot be a purposeless creation. It is bound to have a
purpose which manifests itself soon or late.

9.
Ie., before this, the earth surface consisted of water
only and was governed by the Almighty. In the times of the
Prophet (sws), people may have wondered at this statement
of the Qur’an; however, today’s researches have shown that
this information about the earth is a fact which the
Qur’an had stated centuries ago.

10.
This is a statement of the purpose for which this world
was created in an elaborate way in six days – which are
equivalent to millions of earth years. It is for this
reason that God has given human beings the freedom of will
and the awareness of good and evil. Their creator wants to
see whether they adopt the path of right or wrong. They
have been told that one day they will be held accoutable
for their choices and will be rewarded or punished
accordingly.

12.
Ie., the torment that necesarily visits people who deny
their respective messengers.

13.
Although these remarks are made in general for human
beings, they are directed to the people who are under
discussion. By turning away from them, a statement is made
that this attitude is not specific to them. It is the
misfortune of human beings that this is what they
generally do.

14.
Ie., he wants to evade presenting what his addressees
dislike. This does not mean that he actually wanted to do
this. This is actually a preemptive sentence and an advice
to remain steadfast and resolute in the wake of difficult
circumstances, intensity of reaction from the adversaries
and storm of disdain and sarcasm. This advice has been
given in a style so that not even such a thought should
pass his mind. The word لَعَلّ
evidences this fact. Thus deliberation shows that the
harshness in the address is also directed at the
adversaries who were creating this situation because of
their attitude.

... The above
objections were cited in a simple style. However,
regarding the Qur’an to be a fabrication was a very
strange thing, especially from the tongues of those who
were literary critics and who also relished the brevity
and conciseness of a discourse. They also had a huge
collection of the works of their top notch poets and
orators to compare the Qur’an to. For this reason, the
style adopted expresses amazement. (Amin Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i Qur’an,
vol. 4, 112)

16.
Ie., if they are truthful in the notion that the Prophet
(sws) has fabricated this book, then this can be judged
very easily: they should produce ten surahs of the same
majesty as it. If they think that if a person (Muhammad
(sws)) of their nation can do it without any intellectual
or literary background, then they too should have no
problem in authoring such a discourse. This same challenge
has been mentioned in verses 33-34 of Surah al-Tur by the
words: بِحَدِيْثٍ مِثْلِهِ.
This surah is one of the initial ones from the phase of
open warning (indhar ‘am) of the preaching mission of the
Prophet (sws). It is evident from this that the Qur’an
first presented this challenge to the disbelievers in
concise words and later elaborated upon it when the need
arose. No sequence or gradual progression is needed to be
understood in this.

17.
The direction of address has become direct in this verse.
It is thus said that if their deities do not come to their
help even at this instance, then they should acknowledge
the divinity of the Qur’an. Thus even collectively they
cannot present anything of the majesty of this book and
the claim made by this book is absolutely true that there
is no deity except God.

18.
This is a warning sounded to them with reference to an
established practice of God: those who only want a worldly
reward, live and die for it and spend their lives while
totally disregarding the Hereafter are recompensed by the
Almighty in this very world in a proportion He desires and
for those He deems appropriate. As a result of this, they
are wrongly led to believe that if ever the Hereafter
comes, there too they will be the favoured ones of God.
The Qur’an states that in the Hereafter there shall be
nothing but fire for them.

19.
This refers to the spark of light found in human nature
through which a person distinguishes right from wrong and
good from evil. It has been innately ordained in it by the
Almighty.

20.
Ie., divine revelation is actually light upon light and
corroborates the fundamentals given to human nature by the
Almighty. Here the pronoun in
يَتْلُوْهُ is in the singular. Its
antecedent is بَيِّنَةٌ.
However, since the latter word occurs as an unreal
feminine, hence the pronoun refers to what is connoted by
بَيِّنَةٌ.

21.
Ie., a guide in this world and a mercy in the next that
will necessarily engulf the believers.

22.
At times, in such interrogative sentences, certain parts
are suppressed. They have been revealed in the
translation. The implication is that it is such slaves of
this world who can reject the Qur’an as have been
mentioned above. This is because the spark of light found
in their nature has been extinguished because of their
wrong attitude. And people whose internal spark is
extinguished are not capable of believing in the Qur’an.
Deliberation shows that found in this is a subtle
reference to the People of the Book who though had not
fully come to the fore, yet were fully geared up for
opposition from their inside.

23.
The implication is that if these unfortunate people
are denying the Qur’an, let them do so. This attitude of
theirs should not confuse the Prophet (sws). It may be
noted that though the Prophet (sws) is addressed here yet
what is said is directed to the wretched people who were
rejecting the Qur’an. Imam Amin Ahsan
Islahi writes:

... The rebuke found in such sentences
is directed ... towards the adversaries. However, since
they are not worthy of being addressed, these words are
not directly addressed to them. Instead, they are
addressed to the Prophet (sws). This style of scolding and
rebuking someone at times is more effective than direct
address. Many striking examples of this style of address
are found in the Qur’an. (Amin Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i
Qur’an, vol. 4, 118)

24.
Ie., associate partners with him. In the Qur’an,
this expression is also used to denote polytheism as well
as to regard something as allowed or prohibited without
divine sanction, which also is a form of polytheism. It is
evident from the context that here this expression
actually denotes polytheism.

25.This witness shall be borne by
God’s messengers who were sent to conclusively convey the
truth and also by his angels who are responsible for
keeping the record of deeds of people.

26.
Ie., they want to lead people away from the straight path
into the perplexities of polytheistic beliefs.

27.
Two-fold torment because they stayed away from the path of
God and led others away from it as well.

28.
The implication is that neither were they prepared to
listen to God and His Messenger (sws) nor learn a lesson
from the signs of God found within themselves and around
them.

29.
This is a reference to the same disbelievers who were
mentioned earlier by the words:
مَا كَانُوْا يَسْتَطِيعُوْنَ السَّمْعَ وَمَا كَانُوْا
يُبْصِرُوْنَ.

30.
The actual words are: نَذِيْرٌ
مُبِيْنٌ. Ie., one who warns with
full clarity and absolute certainty. These words carry a
subtle allusion in them as well. Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi writes:

... It was a
tradition among the Arabs that they would construct
turrets on every high hillock or hill in which a guard
would always sit. His job would be
to tear his clothes, strip naked and shout واصباحا when
some enemy would advance to attack his people. This was an
alarm for the whole nation and they would unsheathe their
swords and come out. That person would be called “a naked
warner.” messengers of God also came to warn their people
about a torment and they informed people in the same
manner as if it is about to descend from behind. For this
reason, the Qur’an has used the words نَذِيْرٌ مُبِيْنٌ
for these messengers. (Amin
Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i Qur’an, vol. 4, 136)

31.
Readers may take a look at verse 2 of this surah. Muhammad
(sws) also began his preaching with these words.

32.
These are three objections raised by the leaders of Noah’s
nation in response to his preaching. They are answered
ahead.

33.
The actual word is: بَيِّنَةٌ.
It refers to the spark of light found in human nature. It
has been alluded to earlier in verse 17.

35.
The implication is that because of their misdeeds the
light found in their nature has been extinguished and as a
result the light of divine revelation that came to them
has also been lost in darkness. Moreover, they also have a
dislike for such things. So, how can the Prophet (sws)
paste something on them for which they do not have any
potential for acceptance.

36.
This is an answer to what the addressees of the Prophet
(sws) had said that he seems to be a human being like
them.

37.
They made this statement on the grounds that when God has
not chosen these poor people to become affluent in this
world like them, how can He choose them for the favours of
the Hereafter.

38.
These words are addressed to the Prophet (sws) in between
the main discourse of the surah. They are an on the spot
comment on the reaction of the addressees.

39.
This because they thought that threat of punishment was an
absolute bluff. Thus when the ship was being
constructed they must have thought that this was mere
madness on the part of Noah (sws) and his companions.

40.
These words occur on the basis of mujanasah (similarity of
genre) and express the joy and elation and overwhelming
increase in faith and satisfaction that is attained by
believers when the promise of God is fulfilled. Imam
Amin Ahsan Islahi writes:

… In normal circumstances, it is not
good to be happy to see others in difficulty. However,
when God’s punishment visits those to whom the truth has
been conclusively conveyed the way Noah (sws) and his
companions had done so to their nation, it becomes a
memorable incident of the victory of the truth and defeat
of falsehood. If the believers feel overjoyed on this,
then this is an absolute requisite of their faith.
(Amin Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i Qur’an,
vol. 4, 141)

41.
Such is the nature of the torment that visits a
nation after the truth is conclusively conveyed to it by
messengers of God. When it comes, it goes away only when
the nation is utterly routed and becomes a relic of the
past.

42.
The actual words are فَارَ التَّنْوْرُ.
This is a metaphorical expression of the storm that was
accompanied by the turbulent cyclonic winds and nearby
seas also spilled their waters on the shores.

43.
The words مِنْ كُلٍ are spoken
with respect to what is in the mind of the speaker. Ie.,
one pair each of those animals which had been domesticated
by people and which were necessary to start life afresh
after the storm.

44.
Ie., about whom it has been decided from the very first
day that they will be punished in this world because of
their misdeeds and in the Hereafter also will become fuel
for Hell.

45.
This sentence expresses yearning and sorrow: a vast
majority of people continued to evade the truth in spite
of several hundred years of warnings delivered to them by
Noah (sws) and were finally drowned in the sea. There is
also an indirect message of assurance in these words for
the Prophet (sws) and his companions: if the arrogant
majority of the Quraysh also reaches a similar fate, then
this should not be any cause of wonder. Many nations
before them have encountered such a fate.

46.
These words express trust in God: through them a believer
consigns himself to his Lord who does not need any means
or resources to implement His directives. In fact, He is
the creator of these means and resources.

47.
A reference to these attributes of God expresses great
humility and helplessness. It means that people were not
worthy of being forgiven. However, God is forgiving and
very merciful: he has saved them from every difficulty in
these times of the punishment’s descent on the nation.

49.
Such is the manner in which passion of persuasion and
fatherly affection are intertwined in this sentence that
they cannot be expressed in words.

50.
It is evident from this how far stubbornness and obduracy
can take a person.

51.
It was very possible that this scene may not have been
shown to Noah (sws). But God intended that he see it with
his very eyes. Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi
writes:

… This was the last test of Noah’s
faithfulness. Evident from it is the extent of trials
through which prophets of God have to pass. However, with
the grace and help of God they succeed in every test. Also
evident from this is that when the law of God is so
unbiased that even a prophet’s son is not spared if he is
defiant, what is to become of others.
(Amin Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i Qur’an, vol. 4, 144)

52.
Ie., the instant he drowned, this directive was given. In
the words of Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi
this was the last scene of this horrific tragedy.
As soon as it took place, the heavens and the earth were
ordered to stop as the purpose had been achieved.

53.
This is the name of a peak in the mountainous range of
Ararat. Starting from the high ground of Armenia, this
range goes into Kurdistan in the south. For this reason,
it is called only Ararat in the Bible. The Qur’an has only
mentioned the peak where the ship stopped so that one can
grasp the horrific nature of the storm in which the water
rose to such a high level.

54.
Earlier it was stated that Noah (sws) was directed to
board his family on the ship. It is because of this that
he said that his son was among his family. The reason for
this is that till that time he did not know with certainty
that his son had become liable for application of God’s
judgement.

55.
This prayer was uttered by Noah (sws) when he saw his son
drowning. However, it has been mentioned here. Imam
Amin Ahsan Islahi writes:

... In the eyes of
God, in spite of being Noah’s son, he was such a wretch
that until he had been drowned God did not even like to
discuss the prayer of Noah (sws). The obvious reason for
this was that the greatest fortune in this world for a
person can be to be born in the family of God’s prophet.
Yet this good fortune can become his greatest of
misfortunes if it is not given due importance by him and
he ends up a devil in the house of a saint. Thus it is
clearly evident from the sequence of the discourse that
Noah’s son has been regarded as one who has been the
greatest recipient of God’s wrath. It is as if he was the
real target of the storm: as soon as he was drowned, the
storm was ordered to cease. (Amin Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i
Qur’an, vol. 4, 145)

56.
The reason stated is: اِنَّهُ عَمَلٌ
غَیۡرُ صَالِحٍ (he is a wretched person). It is
evident from this that the family of a prophet is not
merely constituted through lineage but also through faith
and righteous deeds.

57.
These peace and blessings manifested such that later
sprang from these few individuals their progeny which
inhabited the whole earth.

58.
Ie., the worldly judgement which has now taken place will
also take place later periodically and the unjust among
the progeny of those who have been delivered now will keep
meeting this fate once the truth has been conclusively
communicated to them by messengers of God.

59.
This is stated because in accordance with the established
practice of God with regard to His messengers, these
messengers and their followers always succeed and their
enemies are doomed.

60.
The ‘Ad are the most ancient nation of the Arabs. They
were Semites and they inhabited the area of Ahqaf which
lies between Hijaz and Yemen in the south west of al-Rub‘
al-Khali. They are proverbial in Arab literature for their
ancient origin as well as for their splendour and majesty.
Hud (sws) was one of their individuals who was sent to
them as a messenger. To express God’s favour, it is stated
that He did not send any stranger to the ‘Ad. In fact, He
sent their brother Hud (sws) to them so that the truth was
conclusively communicated to them.

61.
There are two components of tawbah (repentance): one, a
person should not repeat his mistake, and two, he should
revert to what is correct. For the first component, the
Qur’an uses the word istighfar and for the second tawbah.
Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi writes:

... The first of
these is based on fear and the second on love. Moreover,
awareness and realization are an important part of them.
Unless all these components exist simultaneously, merely
repeating the words of tawbah and astaghfirullah will not
bring about a tawbah which is acceptable to God. (Amin
Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i Qur’an, vol. 4, 145)

62.
This is an expression of the blessings of collective
repentance on the preaching endeavour of messengers of God
also mentioned at other instances in the Qur’an. They
refer to an increase in sustenance and political power.
The Almighty opens the doors of the heavens for these
favours and paves the way for the political dominance and
authority in this world for those who repent.

64.
Since what these people had said was absolutely senseless,
Hud’s (sws) regard and honour for monotheism flared up and
he passionately declared his acquittal from monotheism.
Moreover, in the succeeding verses, he even challenged
them and their deities to do whatever they could against
him; they would get to know what true faith in God was and
on the basis of which he had taken up the preaching of
monotheism.

65.
Ie., to acquire God’s cognizance there is no need to pass
through twisted and contorted routes and there is also no
need to find intermediaries to reach His presence. Human
intellect and nature can directly recognize God and if a
person turns towards Him with full sincerity, He is right
there before him on the straight path.

66.
The implication is that now a torment will visit them that
will utterly rout and completely destroy them and some
other nation will take their place. In spite of all their
splendour and majesty, they will not be able to save
themselves from God’s grasp.

67.
How did this torment descend upon them? It is evident from
its details found in the Qur’an that winter clouds
appeared with thunder and lightning and a tempestuous wind
shattered the whole city to extinction.

68.
Though only one messenger was sent to the ‘Ad yet they
would have adopted the same attitude whichever messenger
had presented this message to them. Hence the disobedience
to one messenger has been regarded as disobedience to all
messengers.

69.
These are from the remnants of the ‘Ad. For this reason,
they are also called the second ‘Ad. Among the ancient
nations of Arabia, this is the second nation which
achieved extraordinary fame after the ‘Ad. They inhabited
the land of al-Hijr which was in the north west of Arabia.
According to both the Qur’an and Arab traditions, both the
‘Ad and the Thamud had similar attributes.

71.
Ie., to the worship of one God after leaving all other
deities – a message with which every prophet begins his
preaching.

72.
Precisely the same words occur earlier in the account of
Noah (sws). They have been explained there.

73.
Reference is towards those expectations which the people
of his nation had from Salih (sws). They thought that he
would glorify their forefathers and enhance the honour and
respect of their ancestral religion and national
traditions.

74.
The implication is that Salih (sws) has earmarked a
she-camel at the behest of God. It has been dedicated to
God and in this respect she is God’s camel. It is a sign
of God’s torment for them. If they harm it, then they will
have lost their last hope for survival. After this,
nothing will be able to stop the storm of God’s wrath from
entering their cities.

75.
Though one of their rebellious leaders had killed the
she-camel, the Qur’an has ascribed this killing to the
whole nation. The reason for this is that all other
rebellious elements showed their consent in this.

76.
This she-camel was a benchmark to judge the rebelliousness
of the nation. It became evident from its killing that
these people did not deserve any further respite. Thus at
the bidding of his Lord, Salih (sws) sounded this notice
to them.

77.
Ie., the directive of punishment. The actual word used is:
أَمْر. The eloquence in it is
that as soon as the directive was given, the punishment
was immediately meted out to them. It is as if the
punishment was hidden in this one word.

78.
In this sentence, at one place a verb is suppressed and at
another a related clause in accordance with linguistic
principles. They have been revealed in the translation.

79.
There is assurance in this for the Prophet (sws) and his
companions: they should rest assured that this might and
power will manifest in the matter of
the Quraysh and ultimately it is God Who is going to
prevail.

80.
This is a measure of the hospitality and generosity of
Abraham (sws): he immediately slaughtered a calf from his
herd for his guests. Obviously, only some meat of this
calf must have been presented to these guests. Yet the
Qur’an in order to highlight this prominent trait of
Abraham’s character mentioned “calf” instead of “meat.”

81.
The probable reason for fear was that if they were not
eating the food prepared for them, then perhaps they may
be angels and if they were angels then they had come in
the form of human beings and if this was so then they
might have come to warn him or his family for any mistake.

82.
If a person is in a state of fear and the reason for this
fear suddenly goes away, then at times such a laugh ensues
involuntarily.

83.
The angels gave these glad tidings on behalf of God and
hence the words are: “We gave him glad tidings.” In the
words of Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi, the
various aspects of the special blessing of God and
completion of favour found in these glad tidings do
not need expression. Moreover, the glad tidings of a
grandson after the son gave the assurance that the son
would live a considerably long life and a famous grandson
will be born of him.

84.
It is evident from the way this wonder is expressed that
there is a strong desire to acquire satisfaction that the
apparent hindrances found in the fulfillment of these
tidings will be removed.

85.
The actual words are: رَحْمَتُ اللهِ وَ
بَرَكَاتُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ اَهْلَ البَيْتِ. The pronoun
in عَلَيْكُمْ is in the
masculine plural. In Arabic, this is a very civilized and
polite way of addressing women of a household. The
elements of modesty and respect found in this address are
quite evident to every person having literary taste.

86.
What was this argument about and how many aspects of love,
affection, concern and sympathy of Abraham’s personality
were concealed in it as well as his great trust in God?
For this, its account in the Bible must be read. It is
recorded in the Book of Genesis:

The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham
remained standing before the Lord. Then Abraham approached
him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the
wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the
city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the
place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?
Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the
righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the
wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of
all the earth do right?” The Lord said, “If I find fifty
righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the
whole place for their sake.” Then Abraham spoke up again:
“Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord,
though I am nothing but dust and ashes, what if the number
of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy
the whole city for lack of five people?” “If I find
forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.” Once
again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found
there?” He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do
it.” Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me
speak. What if only thirty can be found there?” He
answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to
the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?” He
said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”
Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak
just once more. What if only ten can be found there?” He
answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”
When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left,
and Abraham returned home. (18:22-33)

87.
It has been mentioned earlier that such is the nature of
the punishment which comes to a nation once a messenger
has conclusively communicated the truth to it. Once it
comes, it only leaves when everything is destroyed.

88.
Lot (sws) was a nephew of Abraham (sws). His nation lived
in the area which is in the north of Syria lying between
Iraq and Palestine. Today it is called Transjordan. In the
Bible, their largest city has been mentioned as Sodom. The
relationship of Lot (sws) with this nation was the same as
the one Moses (sws) had with the Pharaoh. It is evident
from the way his wife is mentioned at various instances in
the Qur’an that she belonged to this nation and as such
after marriage he had become a part of it.

89.
It is evident from the succeeding verses that the angels
had come in the form of young and handsome boys. Lot (sws)
knew how characterless and shameless his nation had become
in this matter. This made him very worried.

90.
Was this an option given by Lot to these perverted
rascals? Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi writes:

... This was
not a choice given by Lot (sws) to his nation. It
was meant to awaken their conscience and jolt them. It was
his last moment anxious appeal to them so that they may
contemplate on the sensitivity this servant of God had for
the integrity of his guests: he was willing to go as far
as to sacrifice his closest of relatives for them. It was
meant to make them realize that contrary to this Prophet
of God they have become so blind that they want to molest
his guests. He also asked them to fear God and in the end
uttered the words: اَلَـیۡسَ مِنۡکُمۡ
رَجُلٌ رَّشِیۡدٌ as if to conclusively convey the
truth to them. This is because even of they had the
slightest bit of honour left in them for the truth it
should have come into action after this sentence. However,
when after this also, their conscience was not awakened,
it clearly meant that they had no element of decency and
humanity left in them. (Amin Ahsan
Islahi, Tadabbur-i Qur’an, vol. 4, 158)

91.
The implication of these words was that Lot (sws) should
not try to confound the situation; they have not come to
marry his daughters and unless they marry them, they have
no right on them; hence they should be allowed to do what
they want to and Lot (sws) should not create any hindrance
in this.

92.
This sentence reflects intense anxiety, worry and
helplessness and virtually left no excuse to the nation
for their ill-ways. Thus after it was uttered, the angels
lifted the veil and revealed themselves.

93.
Once the truth has been conclusively communicated by the
messengers of God to their nations, the latter have been
destroyed by stone-hurling storms. At another place, the
Qur’an has called these storms as hasib. These are its
details.

94.
Ie., these stones had been pre-ordained for the purpose of
being hurled on the settlement of Lot’s nation.

95.
The implication is that the stormy wind sent by the
Almighty picked up these stones from their feet and tossed
them on their heads. The Almighty did not need any special
arrangement to bring them forth.

96.
This settlement was called Midian or Midyan after
Abraham’s son Midian. He was born of his third wife
Keturah. It was mostly his descendents who lived there.
The actual area they inhabited was to the north west of
Hijaz and to the south of Palestine on the shores of the
Red Sea and the Gulf of ‘Aqabah. Some part of this area
also extended to the eastern coast of the Sinai Peninsula.
Two great trade routes of that time passed through this
area. For this reason, the people of Midian had made great
progress in trade.

97.
It is evident from this that after polytheism, the
greatest evil that afflicted the nation of Shu‘ayb (sws)
was dishonesty in weighing and measuring. These wrongdoers
had gone on to perfect it into a craft.

98.
This he said because he was a messenger of God and it is
this established practice of God that has always been
implemented in the times of messengers.

99.
Shu‘ayb (sws) has clarified here that his job is to preach
to them and give them glad tidings and deliver warnings
and nothing beyond this. He is not their keeper for him to
forcibly bring them to the right path.

100.
This in reality is a sarcastic remark and the prayer is
mentioned in it as a sign of religiosity because the
prayer is its greatest manifestation. Imam
Amin Ahsan Islahi writes:

... The
implication of these words is that since Shu‘ayb regularly
offered the prayer, they thought that he would make their
forefathers proud and the nation would also prosper; but
what good was his prayer for it was trying to wrap up
their ancestral religion. It should be kept in mind here
that since these miscreants feared that the pious
and devout life of Shu‘ayb would influence people who were
pious by nature, they targeted his pious deeds with
sarcasm and disdain – as if he was the real culprit.
(Amin Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i Qur’an,
vol. 4, 161)

101.
This refers to the divine spark which the Almighty has
innately blessed each human being with.

102.
It is called goodly sustenance because it sustains a
person’s spiritual life.

103.
This is the answer to the conditional clause that has been
suppressed.

104.
Ie., create disorder by producing ill-estimations in the
minds of their customers whereas he himself is asking them
not to create disorder in the land.

105.
It has been mentioned earlier that both seeking repentance
and making amends are necessary for repentance. These
words direct them to this.

106.
These words urge and exhort these people and also give
them glad tidings of acceptance of their repentance. Imam
Amin Ahsan Islahi writes:

... The
implication is that however grave their sins are, if they
sincerely turn towards Him, He will not disregard them. He
will forgive and bless them. He is very gracious and
loving. (Amin Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i Qur’an, vol. 4,
163)

107.
If people are called to give up their cherished
traditions, this is generally what they remark. There is a
sort of sarcasm in this as well: his statements do not
make sense for any sane person; how can such nonsensical
and far-fetched claims be understood.

108.
This is a mention of the general after the specific and
refers to the miracle of the staff. This is because it
divinely sanctioned the prophethood of Moses (sws). It
validated his claim of being a messenger of God in the
ultimate sense. For this reason, it is called by the words
سُلْطَانٌ مُبِيْنٌ in this
verse.

109.
The account of Moses (sws) is narrated in great detail in
Surah Yunus and other messengers are mentioned briefly. In
this surah, the situation is contrary. It is evident from
this that both surahs are complementing each other. It is
these aspects found in the surahs of the Qur’an which show
that two surahs form a pair.

110.
From here onwards, the attention of the addressees of the
Prophet (sws) is directed to the lesson they should learn
from the accounts of the previous messengers of God
mentioned earlier.

111.
The actual words used are قَائِمٌ
(standing) and حَصِيْدٌ
(reaped). What do they mean? Imam Amin
Ahsan Islahi writes:

... An example of
قَائِمٌ
is Egypt. God drove out the Pharaoh and his nation from
there and took it away to drown in a sea. Houses remained
erect but the inhabitants were no more. The word حَصِيْدٌ
refers to the settlements of the nations of Hud (sws) and
Lot (sws) besides others. Both their houses and
inhabitants were destroyed to extinction. Only a few
remains of some of them exist to narrate an exemplary
story of their wretchedness. (Amin Ahsan Islahi,
Tadabbur-i Qur’an, vol. 4, 163)

112.
Ie., it is a day on which all will be present so that all
the parties of the case are able to listen to the verdict
and whatever verdict is announced is announced with full
justice and fairness.

113.
The arrival and departure of Muhammad (sws) is a sign in
itself that the Day of Judgement is not far off and that
it has been deferred only for a small period of time.

114.
This is stated to root out the baseless hopes people pin
on beings who according to them will intercede for them
before God.

115.
The actual words are زَفِيْرٌ
and شَهِيْقٌ. They describe the
cries of a donkey. The first is for the cry when it
breathes out and the second for the one when it breathes
in.

116.
This refers to the world that will come into existence in
the Hereafter. It is mentioned in the Qur’an that the
heavens and the earth of this world will be transformed
into new heavens and a new earth. This expression is also
used in our language to express eternity and perpetuity.

117.
It is this verse of the Qur’an on the basis of which it
can be expected that one day Hell will cease to exist. The
reason is that God’s punishment is a threat and not a
promise and the Lord of the heavens and the earth out of
His grace certainly has the right to reduce the punishment
of the wrongdoers or turn them into
dust and ashes and eternally bury them in Hell. The
words إِنَّ رَبَّكَ فَعَّالٌ لِّمَا
يُرِيدُ at the end of the verse refer precisely to
this fact.

118.
This exception shows that the state and rank of the
dwellers of Paradise will also undergo changes. However,
they will be from good to better. Thus it is clarified
ahead that the blessings of God will never cease. The
previous verse ended on the words:
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ فَعَّالٌ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ. Here instead
the ending words are: عَطَاء غَيْرَ
مَجْذُوذٍ. This change has been made in order to
differentiate between this eternal nature of Paradise and
Hell.

119.
Ie., the Prophet (sws) should not hesitantly think that it
must be some reason that even sensible people worship
these deities. Obviously, the direction of address is
towards the people who were involved in this foolishness.

120.
Ie., they will meet the exact fate they deserve. They
shall not be wronged in any way. Each will get the reward
or punishment his deeds entail.

121.
This is an assurance sounded to the Prophet (sws) that the
reaction his people are showing against the Qur’an, a
similar situation arose earlier in the case of the Torah.
Thus this is nothing new and hence should not be a means
of worry; this is how nations of God’s prophets have
generally behaved towards them.

122.
The implication is that though these people do not deserve
any lenience because of what they are doing yet in the law
of God there is a period of respite fixed for every
nation. Thus the Prophet (sws) too should wait. The fate
of his people will be decided when their period of respite
ends.

123.
The actual words are: إِنَّ كُلاَّ
لَّمَّا لَيُوَفِّيَنَّهُمْ. Here the
ل is for emphasis and oath and
ما is to fulfill the requisites
of sound and rhyme. Other examples of this usage can be
seen in the Qur’an as well.

124.
This is because they will have to deal with the Lord
against whom no one can be of any help.

125.
In order to combat difficult circumstances, the Qur’an has
always urged people to adhere to two things: prayer and
patience. Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi has
explained this motif the way it has occured here. He
writes:

... Urging the
Prophet (sws) to adhere to perseverance before the prayer
is mentioned and to adhere to patience after its mention
points to a fact: steadfastness and persistence are
commendable only when one’s direction is correct.
Moreover, there is also another point in this
verse. It is not said: “Be patient because God will not
waste the reward of the patient.” On the contrary, the
words used are: “Be patient because God does not waste the
reward of those who are thorough in their deeds.” The
purpose of using these words is that patience of only
those people is dear to God and worthy of reward who are
patient in every sense of the word. Everyone becomes
patient after crying and complaining. The patience of the
thorough is that even if they face the worse type of
difficulties they do not brood and grumble. The reward of
who show patience with such dignity is never wasted.
(Amin Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i Qur’an,
vol. 4, 176)

127.
Here attention is directed in a very exemplary way to the
real reason of their destruction: they were destroyed once
the messengers of God conclusively conveyed the truth to
them because their majority was guilty of spreading
disorder and there were very few who were willing to mend
their ways. It is not the way of God to destroy a nation
because of a few unjust people when its majority is
willing to mend its ways. Such destruction takes place
only when the nation in its collective capacity takes to
mischief and disorder.

128.
I.e., He will show mercy in accordance with His law that
He has prescribed for the guidance of people and leaving
vice they become pious.

129.
This is a reference to God’s answer to Iblis when, while
refusing to bow down before Adam (sws), he had said that
he would surround Adam’s progeny in such a way that their
majority would not remain grateful to God.

130.
Ie., this fact is mentioned in them that the righteous
remained dominant and the disbelievers were destroyed.